LLOYD BURR: Hey Metlink, it's 2017!

Some friends and I walked the Paekakariki Escarpment Track at the weekend. It was epic.

It's a 10km walk from Paekakariki shops south to Pukerua Bay, following a track that scales steep cliffs, native bush, and crosses valleys with swing bridges. I highly recommend it.

Anyway, this isn't an opinion piece about the walk - it's about the train ride afterwards.

We parked the car at Paekakariki, did the walk, and jumped on the train at Pukerua Bay to take us back to Paekakariki.

We took a seat, and the train attendant soon came over so we could buy some tickets. I get out my wallet.

Me: "Do you take credit or just Eftpos?"

Attendant: "It's cash only".

Me: "Ahh okay. I've got no cash." I ask the others if any of them have cash. None of them do.

Attendant: *looks at me with contempt*

Me: "Look, we just jumped on and thought we could buy a ticket onboard with Paywave or Snapper or credit card. Can we buy a ticket at the next station?"

Attendant: "And how would you do that? There’s no ticket office there."

Me: "Oh. Okay, right. Can we buy them online on our phones?"

Attendant: "No, of course not."

Me: "Okay. Well, we have no way to pay. I assumed there would be heaps of ways to pay, not just cash."

Attendant: "Why would you assume that? If you went travelling around the world, you would do your research about train tickets. You wouldn't just assume would you?"

Me: "Yeah, well most places around the world have more than just cash. Anyways, where does this leave us?"

Attendant: "Well, you just get a free ride I guess" *he raises his voice and turns around for this next part*. "It's just embarrassing that you all get a free ride when everyone else here pays their taxes and buys their tickets. It's just embarrassing."

My friend: "Sorry but we just thought that because you're Metlink, we could pay with Snapper like you can on Metlink buses."

Attendant: "Of course not."

Me: "Okay, well I don't really know what to do."

Attendant: *raises his voice again* "It's just embarrassing. All of these people have paid their rates and tickets and you just do a disservice to them. As I say it's embarrassing."

Me: "Okay. Well, we're sorry."

Attendant: "In the future, you'd better watch out because they're going to implement an instant $150 fine for people like you. They'll catch you on CCTV, so be aware of that."